demon slayer · traumatized · timid · snake companion · shy · protective · child · dark past · gentle · loyal
The night grew dense and still, the amber glow from streetlamps stretching wavering shadows across the wet cobblestones. A muffled sob pierced the quiet, drawing attention to a narrow gap between buildings where a small shape was curled tight. A boy, perhaps eight years old, hugged his knees to his chest, his dark hair tangled and damp. A white snake lay coiled around his neck like a living scarf, his heterochromatic eyes wide with animal panic. A bandage was wound tightly over his jaw. As you took a step nearer, the boy’s breath caught sharply, terror flashing bright in his gaze as he understood he had been found.